Gerard Dillon (1916-1971) Spanish Fishing Village Oil on board, 49 x 80cm (19.5 x 31.5'') Signed Provenance: From the Estate of the late Charlie Hennessy, Cork. When Gerard Dillon was...

Gerard Dillon (1916-1971) Spanish Fishing Village Oil on board, 49 x 80cm (19.5 x 31.5'') Signed Provenance: From the Estate of the late Charlie Hennessy, Cork. When Gerard Dillon was finally persuaded to travel to Spain in 1951 with his close friends Madge and George Campbell RHA (1917-1974), they travelled by train from France,to Barcelona, Tarragona, Valencia, Granada, and eventually on to Malaga. Due to military restrictions in Spain, Gerard and George were stopped by soldiers and had to obtain a special artists license, where they sketched their favourite subjects; bullfights, processions, musicians, and coastal scenes. Unlike his friend George though, this was to be Dillon's only visit to Spain, and whilst the landscape and light were new to him, he captured all the elements of the people and their surroundings with the same delight, passion and interest as his own country. Although both artists were highly individual in their approach to their subjects, both were 'Romantics', distorting the painting image to conjure up an emotion, a mood, not of any designed stucture of thought. There is no perspective, or subtle shading, instead, they use pictorial devices to achieve their aims, which is to tell story saturated with feeling. In 'Spanish Fishing Village',Dillon engages the viewer with one of his frequently used pictorial devices; a woman, in a dark dress gazes out at us, from rows of washing at an open window, shaded from the outdoors, and in contrast, on the right; outside, we view the the bustling lives of the local fishermen. Dillon divides the painting in two; village: domesticity on the left, and the villager's livelihood on the right. A small group of fishermen huddle together in deep discussion, others relax after a day's catch, a herdsman ushers his goats, and row of beached boats in the distance is a stark reminder of the fishermen's dependence on the sea. It's evening, dark clouds float over a red sky, and a fisherman nearest the picture plane, starts his return home. In 1952 and 1953, Dillon exhibited several of his Spanish paintings in the Irish Exhibition of Living Art, and the Victor Waddington Gallery. Whether painting Italian Washerwomen in the mountains of Borgotaro,Italy or in this case, a spanish fishing village, Dillon is still fascinated by the local people, whose customs and habits resembled those of his people at home. Karen Reihill, December 2008 Curently researching the work and life of Gerard Dillon and can be contacted by those with personal recollections or paintings at dillonresearchproject@adams.ie

View more View less